Phobia
by ChristyK
Summary: The brohters go to a town where the citizen's worse nightmares seem to be coming true.
1. Chapter 1

Here's another one of my stories, hope you like it. I'm leaving on vacation today and will post the next chapter when I get back next Wednesday.

Phobia

It must have been around one AM Sandy thought as she ran through the back alley screaming. This was impossible she thought…. These things only existed on TV or in the movies. She glanced back over her shoulder and her scream got even louder. The hairy long armed creature was right behind her, its claw like hands reaching for her wanting to rip her to shreds.

"Help me!" She screamed into the dark black night…. But there was no one around to hear her. Up ahead she saw a light and hoped it was a house and that someone would be home, someone with a gun big enough to blast the creature and destroy it. She ran full sped toward the house and never saw the bus that ended her nightmare, and her life.

**Plymouth, West Virginia**

"Tell us again what you witnessed." Dean and Sam stood in the living room of one of the people who witnessed the accident, their fake detective badges hanging around their necks. Dean opened his tablet and began writing. "Start from the beginning."

"There's not much to tell…It was around two in the afternoon and I was standing at the bus stop and this girl came running out of the alley screaming like a banshee. She kept looking over her shoulder like something was after her, but there wasn't. She ran right in front of the bus as it pulled up to the bus stop. It was horrible, her body wrapped around the tires and…." The woman pulled out a tissue and started wiping her eyes.

"Did it appear to be a suicide?"

"No….Like I said it looked like she thought someone was chasing her. I don't think she even saw the bus."

"That's all you can remember?"

"That's all."

"You didn't see a black mist or anything around the girl?" Dean knew it sounded crazy but he had to ask.

"No….why would I?"

"Just wondering."

"Well that's all for now Mrs. Collins." Sam quickly spoke up. "Thanks for your statement." Sam nudged Dean with his elbow and they both left the house.

**Outside**

"This is the third strange death in this town, people suddenly flipping out and seeing things that aren't there." Dean said as they walked toward the car. "It almost sounds like that ghost sickness I caught awhile back."

"But those people died of fright back then….simple everyday things scared them till they had heart attacks….These deaths all look like suicides or accidents and the witnesses all claimed that it looked like the person thought someone or something was after them."

Dean thought for a few seconds.

"Maybe it's some kind of bad drug reaction."

"Maybe…. But why don't we go back to the motel and I'll check the computer and see if I can find out anything these people might have had in common."

**An hour later**

The light was red as Bill Watson sat behind the wheel of his car staring at the looming bridge in front of him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he studied it. He had always had an irrational fear of bridges since he was a kid but had always managed to keep it under control, after all the odds of anything happening on the bridge was a million to one. The speed limit was only thirty miles an hour and as long as everyone paid attention to it there would be no problem. He swallowed hard as he waited for the light to turn green. He could always take route twenty which would allow him to avoid crossing the bridge but that was at least an hour out of his way and he was already late for work. When the light turned green the impatient drivers behind him began to lay on the horn. He had no choice; there was no way he could turn around in all the traffic. He gently pressed down on the accelerator and began creeping toward the thing he dreaded most in life. After a few seconds Watson was almost halfway across the bridge and was just beginning to think that it wasn't so bad when he felt the bridge begin to sway, it was crumbling beneath him. Watson screamed as he gunned the engine and began flying across the bridge no longer caring what lane he was in. He could hear the horns and the angry shouts of other drivers as his car began swerving into the oncoming lane of traffic. He kept his eyes on the railing of the bridge and watched as it swayed back and forth. He was almost across; he was going to make it. He never even saw the tractor trailer as it jammed on its brakes directly in front of his car. The last thing he thought before he slammed head on into the big truck was that in a few seconds he would be safe on the other side.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, hope you like the story.

Phobia

Chapter two

**Two days later**

Dean and Sam stood in the living room of Bill Watson's widow. They both were uneasy having to deal with a woman whose wound was so fresh but they knew they had to find out if Watson's death was tied into the others.

"We're sorry for your lost." Sam said as he took out his tablet.

"I can't believe he's gone." Sue Watson said as she wiped at her eyes.

Sam glanced over at Dean, he hated interviewing someone so hurt and hoped Dean would take over the questioning. Dean cleared his throat then began with the questions.

"Do you have any idea what could have caused your husband to act the way he did?"

"I have no idea. Bill was always such a careful driver."

"The police said he headed right for the truck…..I hate to ask this Mrs. Watson but was your husband suicidal?"

The woman began sobbing and Sam handed her a box of tissues as he blinked back tears of sympathy from his own eyes.

"Bill loved his life….he never would have deliberately killed himself."

"I read the police report, it said there wasn't any kind of mechanical failure. The witnesses said your husband suddenly veered into the oncoming traffic and right into the truck."

"He might have had a panic attack. He was deathly afraid of bridges and whenever I drove with him he'd try to avoid crossing any bridge unless he absolutely had to. He'd even leave an hour or two early for work so he could avoid the bridge. … But he was running late today and…."

Dean glanced over at Sam.

"I'm sorry to upset you Mrs. Watson but we need the information for insurance reasons."

"I know." She said as she tried to compose herself.

"Could you tell us everything he would have done after he left the house the day of the accident?"

"What would that matter?"

"Just need to fill out the report ma'am."

"Well when he left that day…." She thought for awhile as she dried her eyes. "He probably stopped for breakfast. He liked meeting up with some of his friends in the morning before work. I remember he was upset because a friend of his had killed himself a few days earlier. They used to meet for breakfast and one day he didn't show up. Bill found out the next day that Fred had killed himself."

Dean once more glanced over at Sam.

"So your husband and his friend used to meet for breakfast at the same diner?" Sam asked.

"Yes, that little diner right off of the interstate…. I think it's called The Wakefield Diner." She looked back and forth between the brothers. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Like I said ma'am we just need it for our report."

She looked up at them with tear filled eyes.

"Why did Bill do it? Why did he drive right into that truck?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

**Outside the house**

"Poor woman." Sam shook his head sadly.

"She said his friend died a few days ago and that they both ate at the same diner?"

"It could be coincidence."

"Or not." Dean said as he climbed in the car.

"Dean it's a fairly small town and not a lot of diners to choose from. It's not strange that both men ate at the same diner."

"Well if the other victims ate there also then I think we need to check it out."

**Wakefield Diner**

After first stopping at their motel and downloading pictures of the victims the brothers headed for the diner. They walked in and took a seat at one of the small booths. Sam picked up a menu and pretended to look at it while Dean looked around the diner. There was nothing special about it; it looked like any of the hundred of diners they had eaten at over the years. A smile came to Dean's face when he saw a pretty blonde waitress walking their way. He nudged his brother and nodded toward the girl.

"I'll handle this." Dean said to his brother as he gave the waitress his most charming smile.

"Hi, are you ready to order?" The waitress asked as she returned his smile.

"We sure are sweetheart."

"I'll have a burger, loaded with onions and ketchup….and fries, the greasier the better."

"And you." The girl looked at Sam.

"I'll have the soy burger and a salad."

"Can I get you something to drink while you wait?"

"I'll take a coke." Dean glanced at Sam annoyed that the waitress was now smiling down at Sam and seemed more interested in his brother then him.

"I'll just have water." Sam smiled as he handed the girl his menu.

"I'll be right back."

Both boys watched the waitress walk away.

"I could use some of that." Dean watched till she walked into the kitchen then turned his attention back to Sam. "A soy burger? What are you nuts?"

"They're good, and they're good for you."

"Where the hell did you learn to eat that junk?"

"College. ... Jessica got me started on health food; she always wanted to open a health food restaurant in San Diego. We're going to…." Sam stopped suddenly, for a second he had forgotten that his girlfriend was dead and there wasn't going to be any future with her. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Dean looked away; any form of emotion embarrassed him.

A few minutes later when the food arrived Dean pulled out the pictures of the victims and handed them to the waitress.

"Have you seen any of the people here at the diner before?"

Before she could answer him a painful scream came from the kitchen.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter three

**The kitchen, a few minutes earlier**

Rob Bennnet stood in front of the boiling pot of frying oil as if hypnotized ignoring the voice inside him that told him to move away. He had worked in a kitchen all his life and had always had an unreasonable fear of the fryer. He had seen others severely burned when the boiling hot grease had tipped over on them. He himself had been burned occasionally while walking by the pot when the grease had splashed on him. But now he stood in front of the pot forcing others to walk around him.

"Damn it Rob move you're in the way." Jack his co worker said as he tried to squeeze by him.

Why was he suddenly fascinated by the boiling oil he wondered. He usually tried to work as far away from it as possible but now he couldn't pull himself away from the yellowish liquid that seemed to be calling to him. Sweat ran down his face as he wondered what was happening to him. Why was he so fascinated with the oil? And then suddenly he knew. He had to feel what it was like to feel the boiling oil all over his body. His mind screamed at him to walk away but another voice in his head told him what he had to do.

Jack and the rest of the kitchen crew watched in horror as Rob suddenly grabbed the hot handles of the pot and picked it up over his head and dumped the contents over his head and body. He screamed in agony as his skin began to blister and turn a flaming red color.

**Inside the diner**

All eyes turned immediately to the kitchen door as the workers came running out of it clearly terrified. A few seconds later Rob stumbled out, his skin hanging from his face and arms, his eyes burned away. He took a few steps then fell to the floor. Most of the people in the diner quickly ran outside not wanting to witness the horrible sight.

"Get some cold water and call 911!" Dean shouted as he and his brother hurried to the man's aide.

"Oh my God!" Emily the waitress covered her face with her hands and turned away.

Dean continued toward the man while Sam stopped and tried to comfort the waitress.

"What's your name?" He asked her as he gently pried her hands away from her face and made her look into his eyes.

"Emily."

"We need you to be strong Emily and hold it together. My brother and I will try to help him but we need you to call 911 then get some table clothes and soak them in cold water…it'll help the pain a little till the ambulance gets here."

The girl ran back to the kitchen to do what she was asked. Meanwhile Dean and Sam both knelt next to the man and tried to comfort him.

"We called for help. I know it's painful but you got to try and hold on." Sam said as he glanced over at Dean. They both knew the man's burns were extensive and he probably wasn't going to make it.

Jack walked over and after seeing the condition of Rob's body turned his eyes away.

"He did it to himself."

"What?" Both Sam and Dean looked up at him.

"He picked up the pot of boiling oil and poured it over his head. Why would he do something like that?" He shook his head in bewilderment and shock.

"Why did you do it?" Dean asked, maybe they could finally find out what was going on.

"Because he told me to." Rob managed to get out between agonized moans of pain.

"Who? Who told you to?" Sam asked.

"The voice in my head."

Dean glanced up at Sam who shook his head, neither one knew what they were dealing with. Emily returned a few minutes later with the tablecloths that had been soaked in cold water and handed them to the brothers. They spread them over Rob's burned body hoping the cool water would take away some of his pain.

"Why would he do something like that?" Jack repeated the question he had asked before. "Rob was always so cautious around the fryer; it was almost as if he was afraid of it. …. Why would he pour it all over himself?"

"I have no idea." Dean winced in sympathy as he looked down at Rob's destroyed face.

**Later**

After the ambulance came and had removed Rob from the building Dean walked over to Emily who was starting to close up the diner. He pulled out the pictures of the other victims.

"Have you seen these people in here before?"

Emily looked at the pictures then up at Dean.

"They're all regular customers. Why?"

Dean pulled out a fake reporter's badge.

"My partner and I are investigating the recent strange deaths in your town for our paper."

"Oh." Emily looked confused. "You mean they're all dead?" She once more looked through the pictures, she knew their faces from waiting on them, but not their names.

"Yeah, all of them."

"Why are you investigating it?... Do you think they were murdered?"

"Not exactly….but all of the deaths were strange, all of them were kind of odd."

"You think they're somehow connected?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter four

**Later that night**

There was really nothing else for them to do so they decided to go back to the motel and get some sleep then start fresh in the morning.

Dean rolled back and forth on his mattress trying to find a comfortable position. He fluffed up his pillow then tried to go back to sleep. Usually he had no trouble sleeping in the numerous motels they stayed at but for some reason tonight was different. He reached for the remote to the TV figuring he'd watch a little TV and hopefully that would put him to sleep. He glanced over at Sam's bed and saw him sitting on the side of his bed.

"Can't sleep either huh?" Dean asked his brother. When Sam didn't answer him he took a closer look. Sam was sitting hunched over, tears streaming down his face as he cradled his gun in his lap. "Sammy? Sam? What's going on Sam?"

Sam just shook his head as he wiped at his tears too upset to even speak.

"Sammy talk to me." Dean rolled out of bed and now sat across from his brother.

"I tried….I tried so hard."

"Tried to do what." Dean thought maybe he could grab the gun out of his brother's hand, but he noticed Sam had his finger on the trigger and knew his brother's gun had a hair trigger and could go off at the slightest touch.

"I tried to save him but…." He shook his head sadly.

"Tried to save who?"

"Dean….I tried to save Dean but I couldn't."

"Sam I'm here….I'm sitting right across from you."

"No….no… you're not him…you're some damn shape shifter."

"Sammy look at me."

When Sam didn't look up Dean attempted to move onto his brother's bed but stopped when Sam began to raise the gun.

"Sam I'm right here, just look at me."

Sam slowly raised his tear stained face but there was no sign of recognition.

"You're not him. He's dead….he's dead because of me and I can't bring him back. I've tried….I've tried so hard but…."

When Sam went to wipe his eyes Dean made his move. In one swift movement he grabbed the gun from his brother's hand and tossed it aside. When Sam tried to reach for it Dean's fist flew and the blow brought his brother back to reality.

"What cha do that for?" Sam said as he rubbed his chin completely unaware of what had just happened.

"You okay?"

"Of course I'm okay…Why did you hit me?"

"Sam….I think you were going to kill yourself."

Sam looked at him confused and with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

Dean explained to Sam what he had just witnessed.

"What ever is happening to these people….it's happening to me now?"

"I think so. Think Sam….did you feel anything strange, anything odd in the last day or so?"

"No…not that I remember." Sam thought for awhile. "Well actually when we were at Watson's house I got a weird headache…. but it only lasted a few seconds."

Dean reached for the phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Bobby. Maybe he'll know what's going on because I can't figure it out."

After two rings Bobby answered the phone.

"What are you two knuckleheads up to?" Bobby asked when he saw Dean's number flash on his phone.

"We got trouble Bobby." Dean then went on to explain everything that had happened.

"Sounds like that killer elf I ran into about ten years back."

"An elf?" Dean looked over at Sam and shrugged his shoulders; he had heard of them but never had to deal with one.

"This kind of elf isn't one of Santa's helpers, this thing is nasty. Legend says that it's the second born of an unwed mother. It was hideously deformed when born and the mother buried it alive in the woods…. But the thing didn't die; instead a witch happened by and saw the girl burying the baby. She dug it up and raised it as her own….named it Phobia. This elf is one mean son of a bitch, likes to play games with people's lives. What it does is it gets into the mind of a second born child and like its name causes that person to live his worse nightmare, his worse phobia."

"How does it get into your mind?"

"Easy, all it has to do is walk by you…it somehow can sense which people are second born children. It just plants the seeds of fear into your mind then you do the rest. Whatever is your biggest fear, that's what will kill you….. The first thing you boys got to do is find out if all the victims were second born children, if they were….then you are definitely dealing with this thing."

Dean watched as Sam walked into the bathroom for a glass of water.

"Why would Sam want to kill himself?" Dean asked softly not wanting his brother to hear.

"Because his worse fear, his phobia, is losing you."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter five

"How do we kill this thing?" Dean asked Bobby.

"The only way known is by fire."

"How do you know that?"

"Some hunters tracked down the witch that raised it and made her talk before they killed her."

"How do I find it?"

"That's the hard part. You have to find it while it's after someone…. and Dean….it'll come back for your brother."

"If that thing touches my…." Dean started but stopped when Bobby interrupted him.

"Another thing Dean….take Sam's gun from him."

"You mean he'll try it again?" Dean swallowed hard.

"Yeah, once that thing has planted a suggestion in your mind it'll stay there. It might not surface for hours or even days but the suggestion's there in your mind and the elf can activate it anytime it wants to. The only way to stop it is to kill the elf."

"How can I stop it from getting to him again?"

"Sam's already been marked by it, so there's no way you can stop it from tracking him. All you can do is keep your eye on your brother and if he gets any more suicidal thoughts do like you did this time……punch him, burn him , do anything you can to snap him out of the trance. It's the only way. But the thing won't stop till …."

"Till what?"

"Till Sam kills himself."

Dean shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he drew in a deep breath, there was no way he was letting this thing get to his brother.

"What does it look like? I was with Sam the whole time and I didn't see anything odd."

"That's the problem; this bastard can blend into the background. The thing's invisible but if you look closely you'll see a shimmering outline of it. What you got to do is blast it with a flame thrower and its history."

"So Sam is its next target?"

"Sam is a target but not necessarily its next target. Since Sam didn't follow through with its plan for him it'll probably go after someone else. It has already marked Sam and can follow him anywhere, anytime, it will come back for him but there's no way of knowing when. There's no way of stopping it unless you can kill it."

**Later- outside at the Impala**

Dean opened the driver's door to the Impala then looked over at his brother.

"Let's go."

"Where?"

"I'm getting you out of this town."

"Why? … Dean we can't just leave these people."

"Sam that thing is going to come back for you."

"I'm not running from it Dean."

"Bobby said that thing won't stop till it kills you."

"Then let it come."

"What are you nuts?"

"Did Bobby tell you how to kill it?"

"Fire."

"Well then if it comes after me, maybe we can kill it."

"I'm not using you as bait Sam."

"Why not? What else can we do?"

"We can get as far away from this town as possible and then…."

"And then what? Dean you know as well as I do that we can't just leave this town without trying to stop that thing."

Dean slammed his car door shut. He knew Sam was right, they couldn't just run away, they had to try and stop the thing from killing any more people.

"Okay Sam you win….but if you feel funny, even just a little bit, or suddenly get depressed you tell me right away."

"I will."

Dean hoped that the depression wouldn't come on so suddenly that Sam wouldn't be able to tell him about it, if it did he could lose his brother forever.

"Let's go back inside and try and get some rest."

As they headed back into the motel room Dean knew he wouldn't be getting any rest. He wasn't about to fall asleep and take the chance that Sam might do something to himself, no way.

"Can I have my gun back?" Sam held out his hand, he felt naked without his gun. The brothers had always kept a gun near themselves when they slept, he didn't know if he'd be able to sleep without knowing it was safely tucked under his pillow. Who knew who or what might show up at their doorstep during the night.

"Sorry Sammy."

"Dean…." Sam started to argue.

"You won't need the gun." Dean interrupted him. "The way to kill this thing is with fire….not with a gun." Dean wasn't about to give his brother an easy way to kill himself if this creature showed up again. No, he'd keep Sam's gun tucked safely away till he knew the thing was dead.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews.

**Phobia**

Chapter six

**The next morning**

Dean was glad when he saw sunlight shining through the window; at last the long night was over with. He had drunk cup after cup of coffee fighting sleep and keeping a careful watch over his brother who slept not knowing his brother's eyes rarely left his sleeping form. When he wasn't watching his brother his eyes were on the computer checking to see if all the victims were indeed second born children. When he had checked the last victim he closed the computer, Bobby was right, the creature was the elf Phobia. Dean knew there was nothing they could do but hang around town waiting for something to happen, or wait for the creature to attack his brother again. He hoped they could end it before it came to that, he didn't want the thing to come anywhere near Sam.

Around seven o'clock Sam began to wake up, he stretched then looked over at Dean who was sitting in a chair at the window.

"You up already?" He asked not knowing that his brother had sat up all night babysitting him.

"Yeah, I figured we should get up early and drive around town, maybe we can spot this thing."

"You said Bobby said it was pretty much invisible."

"Bobby said it's hard as hell to spot….but it can be spotted."

Sam stood up and walked over to the empty coffee pot, he then looked at his brother.

"You were up all night weren't you?"

When Dean didn't answer him Sam continued.

"Dean I'm not going to do anything stupid, you don't have to stay up all night babysitting me."

"Oh, you're not going to do anything stupid? You were about to blow your head off last night Sam."

"That was last night. I know what to look out for now….If I start feeling depressed or even just feeling weird you'll be the first one to know."

"Yeah, okay, right." Dean wasn't about to argue with his brother, he was too tired, but he wasn't about to stop keeping his eye on him either.

"So what do we do?"

"I say we go back to that diner, that waitress said all the victims had been customers."

**The diner**

They pulled up just as the police were removing the crime scene tape from around the diner. After interviewing witnesses the police had come to the conclusion that the man had definitely poured the oil on himself and no one else was involved. The diner had been cleaned up during the night and now was free to open for the morning customers.

Dean and Sam were the first ones in and sat down at a booth. Emily, the waitress from the day before walked over to the.

"Hi." She smiled glad to see friendly faces after talking to the police for the last few hours.

They both smiled back at her.

"How's the man that was burned doing?" Sam asked.

"Pretty bad, he's not expected to make it."

"Did he say or do anything that would have made you'd think he'd do something like that?" Dean asked.

"No….he was fine when he came in yesterday morning…. but…."

"But what?"

"Later in the day he did say he had a funny headache."

Dean glanced over at Sam; he also had said that he had a headache when he was at Watson's house. Is that how it started, with a headache?

**Outside, down the block**

Amy Hutchinson stood at the store counter looking at the kitchen utensils. She began picking through them trying to figure out which ones she needed. She picked up a large knife and put it in her basket. Now what else did she need? She had just moved into a new house with her husband and somehow a lot of her silverware and other kitchen utensils had gotten lost in the move. She was just reaching for another utensil when she felt someone bump into her.

"Oh excuse me." A young woman said as she walked by with an older blind woman.

"No problem." Amy smiled at the girl then glanced at the woman. She thought how horrible being blind must be, and wondered for a moment whether the woman had been blind since birth or had become blind later in life. She silently thanked the powers that be that she had two good eyes as she went back to shopping. Next she tossed a bunch of spoons, forks, and knives into her basket. She figured they would be good enough until she found her own lost set. She then moved into the outdoor grill section and picked up a large fork used for grilling outside. Just as she put it in her basket a dull headache caused her to wince in pain. The pain only lasted a minute or two and she shrugged it off as she continued shopping. Once she was finished she walked to the checkout counter and handed the girl her basket. The clerk began removing the items one by one as she checked them out on the register. Suddenly and without warning the woman suddenly grabbed the large fork from the clerk's hands and without a word plunged the sharp blades into both of her eyes. The clerk stepped back screaming in horror as she watched blood bubble from the holes in the woman's face that once had contained her eyes.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the reviews. This will be the last chapter I'll be able to post until after New Year's Day since more then likely I won't be anywhere near a computer during the holidays. Hope everyone will have a good holiday and a great New Year.

Phobia

Chapter seven

As soon as they heard the scream the brothers were both up and running for the door. Instinctively they both reached beneath their jackets and touched their guns just to make sure they were there if they needed them, it was then Sam realized that he didn't have his, Dean still had it. He looked over at his brother and held out his hand but Dean ignored him, he still didn't trust Sam with a gun, it would be way too easy to turn it on himself.

Once they got to the store they pushed their way through the gathering crowd. They both winced inwardly when they saw the woman standing in front of them screaming as she covered her eyes with her hands, as blood bubbled between her fingers.

"My eyes!.....My eyes!...." The woman screamed as horrified onlookers covered their own eyes and turned away.

"Someone call 911!" Sam shouted as he and his brother led the woman to a chair and helped her sit down.

Sam then picked up a nearby clean tablecloth that was for sale and ripped it into strips. He then took one of the strips and wrapped it around the woman's head covering her eyes, when it bled through he wrapped a new strip on top of the old one. While Sam worked on the woman and tried to calm her Dean kept his eyes out for any sign of the spirit. Maybe since the thing was also after Sam it might still be lingering somewhere in the store waiting to attack him. Dean reached in his pocket and removed the small aerosol can and his lighter but kept them hidden in his hand, he didn't want to frighten anyone but he needed to be ready just in case he spotted the thing. He studied the room but didn't see anything strange. He looked back at Sam just in time to see him pick the fork up off the ground and stare at it, a blank expression on his face.

"Sam….Sammy?"

It was then Dean saw the strange flickering outline of the elf standing near his brother. He quickly raised the aerosol can and was about to light his lighter when the thing suddenly vanished. Dean's attention then went back to Sam who now had the fork positioned over his heart. Dean did the only thing he could think of …. He pressed the aerosol can's button and lit his lighter. Sam yelped in pain and dropped the knife when the flame shot out and singed his hand. He looked at his brother in total confusion.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sam asked Dean as he looked around at the people standing around him who were now backing up wondering the same thing.

"Sorry….. it went off accidently." Dean said to the gathering crowd as he grabbed his brother's arm and led him away from the scene. "You did it again Sam."

"Did what?" Sam had no idea what Dean was talking about, he had been trying to comfort the woman and the next thing he knew Dean was burning his hand.

"You were going to shove that fork right into your chest."

"I was?....It was back?"

"Yeah, but it was too quick, I didn't have time to hit it with the flame."

"But you had time to hit me with it?" Sam said as he looked at his red hand that was already starting to blister.

"By then it was gone….Why didn't you warn me? You said you'd let me know if you were feeling strange."

"I felt fine. I was trying to help that woman and then all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain on my hand and there you are shooting me with your homemade flame thrower."

"I had to….it was the only way to snap you out of your trance." Dean looked into Sam's face. "You didn't feel odd?….You didn't have a headache?"

"Not that I remember."

"Oh that's just great. … That thing can sneak up on you anytime it wants to and there's no kind of warning."

**Later that night**

Dean once more sat up for most of the night watching hi s brother, he knew if he fell asleep even for a few minutes the creature might appear and if that happened Sam could be dead in a minute. As the night wore on Dean was having trouble keeping his eyes open, even after drinking cup after cup of coffee it was impossible. There was only one thing to do. Dean took a pair of handcuffs out of their supply bag and quickly snapped one on Sam's hand then snapped the other on the bedpost.

"What the hell!" Sam said as he woke up and began pulling on the handcuff.

"Just a little insurance policy." Dean said as he once more sat on a chair across from his brother. Now if he fell asleep his brother wasn't going anywhere.

**Two hours later**

Dean couldn't fight sleep any longer and finally drifted off. A half hour after Dean fell asleep Phobia showed up. He brushed against Sam then stood back to watch. Sam suddenly shot up in bed, his first thought was that he had to die. His brother was gone, and now all he wanted to be was gone too. He knew the world would be better off without him. He looked around the room and soon figured out that any weapon or sharp object was way out of his reach. He looked at his handcuffed wrist and knew what he had to do. He pulled his hand out of it as much as he could then began rolling his hand back and forth against the dull edge. It took awhile but he finally managed to make a shallow cut in his wrist, now all he had to do was continue to roll his hand back and forth until the edge of the handcuff cut deeper and deeper into his skin. He knew that once he cut through an artery all he'd have to do is lay back and wait to bleed to death.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter eight

A loud bang woke Dean up; he immediately jumped out of his chair and grabbed his gun. He quickly walked over to the window and peeked through the curtain expecting to see the motel's office being held up. He lowered the gun once he saw that the bang had been a backfire from an old truck that was making its way past the motel. He glanced over at Sam and as far as he could see his brother was sleeping peacefully, which was more then what he was doing. He headed into the bathroom for a glass of water then started to walk back to his chair. It was then he noticed the dark shaded color on the white bed sheet under Sam's arm. He turned on the small light on a bureau next to the bed expecting it to just be a shadow, but what he saw caused him to suck in his breath. A stream of blood ran down Sam's arm and pooled next to his head. Dean ran into the bathroom and grabbed a large white towel; he then uncuffed his brother from the bed post.

"Sam! Sammy wake up!" Dean shouted into his brother's face as he wrapped the towel around his brother's bloody arm causing Sam to moan slightly when he applied pressure to it, but even the pain didn't wake him up. Dean reached over and pinched his brother's good arm; the sudden sharp pain woke Sam up immediately.

"What…What are you doing?" Sam tried to pull away from Dean.

"Hold still Sammy you cut yourself!" Dean pressed hard on the towel covered wound trying to stop the bleeding.

"Owwww!" Sam yelped in pain as he looked down at the blood soaked towel. "How'd that happen?"

"That damn elf was back!"

"I tried to…."

"Yeah, you tried to off yourself again."

Sam looked at his arm in disbelief; he couldn't remember any of it.

"The last thing I remember is you handcuffing me to the bed."

"That's all?"

"Yeah, until right now."

Dean looked down at the bloody towel and watched as blood began trickling out beneath it, he knew the wound was too deep for him to take care of.

"I got to get you to the hospital."

"Can't you stitch it up?"

"It's deep Sam, way too deep for me to fix."

**The hospital**

When they got to the hospital Dean took his and Sam's gun, plus the knives they both carried, and placed them in the trunk of the car. He knew there would be no way to get them through the security system at the hospital.He then took Sam to the emergency room where he was immediately rushed into an examination room while Dean was left to pace the halls waiting for word on his brother's condition. Two hours later a doctor finally emerged from behind the door.

"Your friend should be fine." He told Dean who breathed a sigh of relief. "That was quite a nasty cut, if he had lost more blood we might have lost him. We didn't have to give him a transfusion but he will need to take it easy for a few days till his body builds back the blood he lost."

"Can he go home?"

"As long as he takes it easy."

"Can I see him?"

"In a few minutes, they're cleaning him up now."

**Fifteen minutes later**

Dean was finally allowed to enter the examination room and immediately walked over to his brother who was sitting up on the hospital cot.

"You're lucky. The doctor said you could have bled to death."

"Yeah I heard." Sam kept his injured arm cradled in his good arm.

"Does it hurt much?"

"Not too bad, they numbed it before they stitched it up." Sam looked up at Dean. "I heard them talking Dean…..They said they brought in two more suicides right before I was brought in. It could be that elf again."

"Well that does it…..I'm getting you out of town."

"What good will that do? That thing will just follow me."

"Not if you're in Bobby's panic room, nothing can get in there."

"Bobby's panic room! It'll take us at least a day and a half to get there."

"All the more reason we should get going."

"Dean we can't just leave this town. We need to find that thing and kill it."

"I will when I get back."

"Oh so I'm suppose to just chill in Bobby's panic room while you try to find that thing and kill it?"

"Sounds right….Let's go."

"Dean, the easiest way to find that thing is through me. It has come after me a few times already, it'll come again."

"Look Sam I don't have time to argue with you, we can weigh our options once we're out of here." Dean knew that they needed to get out of the hospital as soon as they could, staying longer then needed would always put them in danger of running into cops, one thing they tried to avoid at all costs.

Dean helped Sam hop down from the litter then together they headed toward the nurses station to sign out.

Dean looked over at Sam as they walked.

"What did you tell them happened?"

"I said I was trying to open a window and my hand slipped and went right through it."

"They bought it?"

"Yep."

"Good." The brothers always had to think up reasons for their injuries. This was a relatively easy one to think up, but trying to explain gunshots or knife wounds took a little more imagination.

Sam walked over to the desk to sign out while Dean continued walking down the hall toward the elevator. Suddenly the sounds of screams started coming from one of the two operating rooms on the floor, Dean stopped and turned toward the disturbance. A nurse, blood oozing from two bloody wrists, was being led out of the room. It was then Dean saw the shimmering barely visible form of the elf standing by the doorway. He reached in his pocket and took out the aerosol can and his lighter. This time the creature wasn't going to get away.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter nine

Dean headed toward the two men and the woman they were helping. As he approached he could see the fear on the men's faces as they saw him raise the aerosol can.

"What the hell are you doing?" One of them shouted when he saw Dean also raise the lighter.

"Stand back!" Dean shouted to them. He knew he looked liked a lunatic but he was determined to destroy the creature once and for all and by doing so stop the thing from coming after his brother or anyone else.

"Dean!"

Sam shouted a warning to his brother but it was too late. Three big security guards were on him in a second. He felt both the can and the lighter fly from his hands.

"Noooooooo!" He screamed when he watched the form of the elf vanish, he had failed, the elf still lived. He struggled to free himself from the men's grasp but it was impossible. Even with his expert training the men were just too big for him and had him cuffed before he could react. He looked over at Sam. He knew usually in a situation like this the one who wasn't captured would escape in order to try and free the captured one later….but this was different. If Sam left he could be signing his own death certificate, there would be no one to look out for him.

Sam looked at Dean as they started to drag him away. He knew trying to help him right now was foolish and they'd probably both end up on the wrong side of the law. Their eyes met for a brief few seconds and Sam could see the fear in his brother's eyes, he knew the fear wasn't for Dean, it was for him. He too felt a sense of dread; he knew without his brother's protection the elf would have no trouble making him try to commit suicide again. Sam was torn about what to do. If he interfered in Dean's arrest they both would be locked up with no one to help them, but if he was left alone he might end up dying, there would no one to stop him from killing himself. The hallway was quickly filling up with curious onlookers and more security. He realized that there really was only one decision he could make, and that was to try and stay alive long enough to help his brother escape. He turned his back to the scene in front of him and finished filling out the discharge slip then signed the name he had used on his fake insurance card. He gave a final glance at his brother who was being led to the elevator, then knowing he had no choice; he turned and quickly walked toward the stairs where he made his exit.

**The town jail **

Dean was led into the small town's jail, then once his cell phone was removed from his pocket he was quickly searched then uncuffed and pushed into a cell. Before he could react the door was slammed shut behind him.

"Hey!" Dean shouted to the officer as he started to walk away. "Look …okay maybe I had one too many drinks but I'm fine now. I apologize…."

"Yeah, yeah,yeah…." The officer continued walking away; it was obvious he had heard it all before.

"Okay listen…..I need to get out of here….my brother needs me. Something bad is going to happen to him if I'm not with him." Dean decided to be truthful and hoped the officer would give him a break.

"What are you talking about?.... Your brother's in some kind of trouble?"

"Sort of ….yeah." Dean knew the officer would think he was nuts if he told him why.

"You don't know for sure?"

"I know….but don't ask me to explain, I just know."

"So now I'm suppose to think you're some kind of psychic huh? .. You just know your brother's in trouble." The officer walked over to a table where he put down Dean's cell phone, lighter and aerosol can.

"You got to let me out! I need to get to him!"

The officer turned around.

"Tell us where to find him and we'll make sure he's okay."

Dean knew he could call Sam and have him come in…but would he? Dean could read his brother like a book and knew Sam was already working on a way to get him out and more then likely wouldn't come in knowing that if they both were detained it wouldn't get them anywhere and more people could die. They both needed to be out on the street looking for the elf. Dean shook his head and sat down on the hard cot in the corner of the cell. He hoped he was doing the right thing, he hoped Sam would find a way to get him out before the creature came looking for him again.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter ten

Sam drove the Impala back to the motel and waited inside. He knew he couldn't do anything right away to try to get his brother out of jail or it would look too obvious. He knew he'd have to wait at least two hours or so before he made his phone call. He paced the motel room nervously. He knew the elf's spell could hit him at any moment, and if it did there would be no one around to save him. He remembered Dean telling him that the only way to bring him out of a spell was a sudden sharp pain. He took a small knife out of his bag and sliced his arm with it. He winced in pain but the pain seemed to make him more alert. Maybe if he continued to hurt himself the elf wouldn't be able to get to him. He knew there was no way of knowing when the feeling to kill himself would come over him so every few minutes he'd have to hurt himself and hope that the pain would stop the thought of killing himself from entering into his mind.

**Two hours later**

Sam took his cell phone out of his pocket with an arm now covered in blood and cuts. So far so good, there was no sign of the creature. He punched in the number to the police department. It was a small town and he knew there couldn't be more then three or four cops working at the same time. Now all he had to do was get them out of the office and Dean could then do the rest.

"Plymouth police department." One of the officers answered the phone.

"I just ran across a really bad accident out by the lake! There are multiple cars plus a tractor trailer involved! We're going to need every officer you have out here!"

"Are there any injuries that you know of?"

"There has to be, the cars are really tore up, people are trapped! You need to get some men out here right away!"

"May I have your name and number?" The officer asked when Sam's phone number didn't appear on his screen.

Sam hung up, he knew that both he and Dean had a scrambling chip in their phones so they couldn't be traced. Now all he could do was sit back and wait for Dean to call him.

**The police station**

The officer who took the call looked over at the other officers in the office.

"Big accident out by the lake sounds like it's a bad one."

Everyone stood up and started walking toward the door.

"What about him?" One of the officers asked as he nodded toward Dean.

"He's not going anywhere." The officer who had pushed Dean into the cell picked up the keys to the cell and put them in his pocket then looked over at Dean. "You got some explaining to do when we get back boy." He told him then he and his fellow officers walked out the door and headed toward their cars.

Dean waited till they pulled out of the lot then allowed himself a small smile. He knew it had been Sam on the phone giving him a chance to break out of the jail. He sat down on the hard cot, the only furniture in the room, and put his foot up on his knee. He then pressed a small button which allowed the heel on his shoe to rotate. He reached into the small cavity it created and pulled out a small lock pick. He then replaced his heel and immediately began to pick the lock. It took only seconds before the lock clicked and he could push the door open. He didn't waste any time, he grabbed his cell phone, lighter, and aerosol can then peeked outside to make sure no officer had been left behind. Once he was satisfied that he was alone, he opened the door and quickly made his way down the street and into an alley where he pulled out his phone and speed dialed Sam's number.

"They'll never learn." Dean said smiling when Sam picked up the phone. They had used the same ruse many times before and had escaped from numerous jails that way.

"It worked?"

"Like a charm. Where are you?"

"At the motel."

"You okay?"

"Well if you mean am I still alive, yeah." Sam looked down at his bloody arm, it seemed to have worked. He was feeling fine and didn't feel any more depressed then usual.

"Well get to town and pick me up." Dean didn't like the idea of Sam being alone with no one to watch over him, the sooner he was back with his brother the better.

"Where are you?"

"I'm about two blocks from the police station." Dean looked at a street sign. "I'm in an alley between Franklin and Willow."

"Stay out of sight; I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Hurry Sam, once the cops find out they've been duped they're going to be swarming all over this place." Dean knew that the cops would soon discover that the phone call had been faked and it would only take them a few minutes to get back to the station. If they found him again they'd watch him like a hawk and he wouldn't be going anywhere, plus they'd add more charges to the ones they already had against him. "Hurry Sammy." He said softly as he stepped back into the shadows.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews

Phobia

Chapter eleven

Sam left the motel room, jumped in the car, then sped toward Dean's location. He knew he had to get to his brother before the cops returned. Sam knew this time if they caught Dean they'd do a strip search and discover the hidden space inside his heel. If that happened his brother wouldn't be going anywhere but would be staying right where he was, in jail, and this time the cops wouldn't take their eyes off of him. Sam pressed his foot down on the accelerator but tried not to go too much over the speed limit, he didn't need the cops knocking him off for speeding.

**In Town**

Dean paced back and forth in the dark alley, but he was more worried for Sam then himself. Phobia had already attacked his brother more then once and it was just a matter of time before the creature attacked him again. He kept looking toward the end of the alley hoping he'd see the Impala heading toward him. Right now all he wanted to do was to take Sam to Bobby's panic room even if he had to knock him out to get him there. Once Sam was safe and he could stop worrying about him he'd come back to the town and try his best to track down the elf. His brother's life was first and foremost on his mind, he wasn't about to lose him again.

**Outside of town**

Sam was nearing the outskirts of town when he began to feel a little strange. It was as if someone had suddenly thrown a switch and a dark depression came over him for no reason. He glanced at the seat next to him and could make out the shimmering nearly invisible form of the elf. Unlike the other victims this time he knew what was happening and used all his strength to fight the feeling of helplessness and the suicidal feeling that kept telling him that the only way to feel better was to end it all. Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead as he reached for the car's lighter. He pushed it in then waited a few seconds for it to pop back out; once it did he grabbed it and held it against the elf's form. A horrible howl broke the silence and Sam watched as the elf materialized briefly then glared at him before spinning like a top and completely disappearing. The depressed feeling immediately lifted. Was it dead Sam wondered? Had the heat from the lighter been enough to kill it? Was it over with? Was the town now safe from the creature? He knew he had no way of knowing. All he could do was get to his brother and tell him what had happened.

**In Town**

Dean breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Impala off in the distance, Sam was okay and he was about to be rescued from the alley. He was just about to step out of the shadows when he saw police cars flying up and down the cross street, he figured they must have returned and found him missing and were looking for him. He had to warn Sam off somehow, if they got caught together Sam would be in as much trouble as he was. He took out his lighter and waved it back and forth. As he figured Sam started to drive toward him assuming it was Dean letting him know where he was, but Dean then lowered the lighter and clicked it shut, a signal for Sam to back off. Dean watched as the Impala slowed down then calmly turned the corner and disappeared. Dean knew the only thing he could do now was stay in the dark and get as far away from the police station as he could before he could attempt to contact his brother again.

**Impala**

Sam had seen the signal from his brother to back off. He quickly turned down the street before the alley and proceeded to drive away slowly so he didn't attract attention to himself. His eyes looked into his rear view mirror when he saw red lights flashing in it. The cops had already returned and were probably after his brother. What he wanted to do was to race back to the alley and get his brother, but he knew that was foolish, one of them had to stay free in order to help the other. He took out his cell phone and punched in Dean's number, he knew his brother would have it on vibrate so as not to alert the cops. When Dean picked up Sam let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"What's up?"

"The cops are all over the place."

"Yeah I see."

"Get out of town and I'll call you in a little while and let you know where and when it's safe to pick me up."

"Dean…..That thing was in the car with me."

Dean gripped the phone tight.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah….I think I might have killed it."

"How?"

"I burned it with the lighter. It spun around then disappeared….Maybe that was all that was needed to destroy it."

"Or maybe not." Dean wasn't convinced, it seemed way to easy. "Just be careful Sam and keep alert. Remember what I told you about pain keeping you from slipping into its trance."

"I know." Sam looked down at the bloody cuts on his arm.

Dean was just about to tell his brother to stay on the phone with him till they hooked up, but it was then he saw the bright spotlight from one of the police cruisers heading toward him. He had to get out of there.

"Gotta go." Dean tucked the phone in his pocket then began climbing up a fire escape trying to stay out of the spotlight. If he could make it to the roof he'd have a chance of jumping across the rooftops and hopefully finding a way into one of the buildings. He didn't like that he had to hang up on Sam but he had to stay free, if he was caught there would be no way to help his brother.

Sam swallowed hard as he looked at the phone in his hand; there was nothing he could do now but wait and pray that his brother could escape the cops, and also pray that the elf was indeed dead. He remembered the horrible depressed feeling he had when it was in the car with him and he knew it took every ounce of strength he had to fight the suicidal feeling that enveloped him…..If it happened again he wasn't sure if he'd have the strength to fight it.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Thanks for the reviews.

Phobia

Chapter twelve

Sam drove to the outskirts of town and waited anxiously for his brother's call hopefully telling him that he had escaped the cops and that he could now pick him up. He parked alongside a country road near a bridge then sat back and stared at his phone willing it to ring. After a few minutes he couldn't stand it any longer and got out of his car and began to pace back and forth on the empty road. It was then he noticed a group of what he thought were probably homeless people below him on the river's bank. He could see the men sitting around a campfire drinking and smoking their only care for the moment was making it through the night. He thought sadly that his brother and he were actually no better off then those men. They too were homeless but instead of sitting around a campfire like these men were doing, they spent it driving aimlessly around the countryside. He wondered sadly if he and his brother would actually ever have a real home again. He knew they had one once when his mother was alive but he was too little to remember it. He hoped Dean at least had some happy memories from that time, all he could remember was traveling from motel to motel and occasionally staying at Bobby's or some other hunter's house that his dad was friends with. He thought back to Adam….a brother they never knew they had. At least he had a happy home life until those ghouls ended it by killing him and his mother. He tried to shake the depressed feelings that were beginning to creep in on him. He didn't think the elf had anything to do with it this time, this time it was just his own memories depressing him. He thought back to all he and Dean had been through. First their mother dying, then Jess, then their dad…..He also had died and Dean had sold his soul to bring him back. Then he remembered Dean dying in his arms and the horrible, helpless feeling he had as his brother died right in front of him. He remembered how Ruby had manipulated him into drinking her blood to make him strong enough to fight Lilith and get revenge for Dean's death. He shook his head sadly. It had been one big lie and he had fallen for it and he had almost lost his brother because of it. It took a long time for him to regain Dean's trust and sometimes he wasn't even sure if his brother really did trust him again. Sometimes he wondered if the world would really be better off without him.

**In Town**

Dean crept down the back alleys always keeping in the shadows and diving behind large trash containers if any headlights turned his way. He wanted to phone Sam but he knew any noise could alert the police to his position. If they got him then his brother was as good as dead. He could only hope and pray that Sam was okay and that maybe he really did kill the creature with the lighter. He doubted it would be that easy but he didn't want to think of the alternative, that the elf might still be alive and just waiting for another opportunity to attack his brother, or someone else.

**The bridge **

Sam continued pacing back and forth in front of the bridge. Where was Dean? Why was it taking him so long to call him back? Did the cops get him? Was he hurt? Should he head back into town to look for him? A thousand questions kept running through his mind. But he knew his brother would want him to stay away until he contacted him. If he got caught driving back into town to free his brother they'd both get locked up and that wouldn't be helping anybody.

"Come on Dean…call." Sam pleaded with the silent phone.

The waiting finally got to him and he started back to the car. The cops weren't looking for him so he decided he was going to drive through town and see what was going on. Maybe Dean would see him and be able to flag him down. The waiting was driving him nuts and he knew he couldn't just sit there and do nothing. He was just about to turn the ignition key when his phone rang, he quickly picked it up.

"Dean?"

"Yeah."

"You okay?" Sam breathed a sigh of relief when he heard his brother's voice.

"Yeah…..I made it to that old mill we drove by on the way into town. Where are you?"

"At the bridge on the outskirts of town….I can pick…."

"Sam?" Dean looked down at his phone thinking he had somehow lost the signal, but he hadn't.

"I…I think…."

"Sammy what's wrong?" Dean's heart began to pound in his chest. Why wasn't his brother answering him? "Sam? Sammy what's going on?"

"They're all dead."

There was no emotion in Sam's voice and that terrified his brother.

"Who? Whose dead? Sammy! Sammy talk to me bro!"

"I'm tired….I just want it over with."

Extreme depression swept over Sam. At first he tried to fight it but it was impossible. He tried reaching for the car's lighter but stopped when his sadness became unbearable. Everything was his fault. He was the one who had unleashed Lucifer and he was the one that should pay for it. Maybe if he was dead things would be okay. He put the cell phone down on the passenger's seat and started to get out of the car.

"Sammy! Sammy pick up the phone!"

He didn't hear his brother's voice as he got out of the car and slammed the door shut, or see the shimmering outline of the elf which stood next to him. Right now all he wanted was to be gone. Guilt and depression washed over him as he climbed over the railing on the bridge and looked down at the dark water below. He didn't see the elf who stood by his side edging him on.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Thanks for the reviews

Phobia

Chapter thirteen

Dean immediately went into panic mode; his baby brother was in trouble. He knew he had to get to Sam and he had to get to him fast. His first instinct told him to hijack a car, but hijacking a car meant an angry driver and an angry driver meant cops and cops were one thing they didn't need right now. He looked down the street and saw several cars parked along the street, he quickly ran over to them. He didn't have time to be careful. He took his elbow and smashed it into the driver's side window successfully breaking the glass and allowing him entry. Once inside he leaned under the dashboard and found the wires he needed, in a few seconds he had hot wired the car and was speeding toward the bridge.

**The bridge**

Sam knew he was lucky, the bridge was seldom used and no one was around to stop him. He looked down at the homeless men far below him. They were too busy drinking and arguing to notice him and even if they did they were too far away to stop him. It would be over with soon. All he had to do was lean forward and let go of the railing, gravity would do the rest. He thought of all the people he had lost, his mom, his dad, Jessica, Madison, and now Dean. He even thought of Ruby, yes she had betrayed him but for awhile when he thought Dean was dead she had been there for him, but he and his brother had killed her and now Dean was dead too, dead because of him. Bobby came into his mind. Bobby would have called him a coward for what he was about to do but he didn't care. Bobby had always liked Dean better than him and even that thought brought a fresh stab of pain to his heart. He had no one. … but then he suddenly remembered talking to Dean just a few seconds ago. Dean was alive, he wasn't dead. He was about to climb back over the railing but a voice in his head made him stop.

"_Your brother __**is**__ dead. You are the one who killed him. Everyone who died was your fault. The world would be better off if you were dead. Your death is the only way to stop people you love from dying." _The elf whispered in his ear.

"But…I just talked to Dean, he isn't dead." Sam tried to reason with the voice. "My brother's alive."

"_That was just a wishful dream. Your brother is dead and you are the reason. You need to end it….you need to stop the pain before more people die."_

Sam looked back down at the water below. The voice was right; he had no reason to live, the world _would_ be better off without him.

**Dean**

As Dean neared the bridge he could make out the form of someone standing on the other side of the railing on the bridge, looking down at the water…Sam. He got as close as he could then pulled over and quietly got out of the car and began walking toward his brother. If he could just get close enough he could grab him and pull him back from almost certain death. When he saw that Sam was about to jump he knew he had to talk.

"Sammy…."

Sam glanced over at him then looked back down at the water.

"Go away."

"Sammy you got to step back, you got to step back from the edge."

"Get away from me!" Sam stepped even closer to the edge.

"Sam listen to me…..You don't want to do this….The elf, he's making you do this." Dean inched even closer.

"No, it isn't him, it's me. I destroyed so many lives and now I'm going to end it….once and for all."

"Why Sam? Why do you want to end it?"

"Because everyone I care about is dead…mom, dad, Jessica, and now Dean is too."

"Sam it's me, Dean, I'm not dead. …Look at me, I'm not dead." Dean tried to convince his brother as he moved even closer.

Sam once more glanced over at Dean, he wasn't convinved.

"You're not him, it's some kind of trick."

Dean could see tears glistening in his brother's eyes.

"Touch me…I'm real." Dean put his arm out. He hoped Sam would reach out to touch him and it would give him the opportunity he needed to grab him.

"No! You're lying! It's my fault they're all dead!... I don't deserve to live!"

Sam released his grip on the railing and as if in slow motion fell into the water below.

"Noooooooo!" Dean screamed as he ran over to the edge of the bridge. Far below he could see his brother's body floating face down in the dark water.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks for the reviews. This is the final chapter as always I hope it doesn't suck too badly.

Phobia

Chapter fourteen

Dean watched in horror as the elf suddenly materialized on top of Sam's body and then proceeded to push his head even further down into the water. Dean reacted immediately; he threw himself off the bridge not in the least concerned about hitting any obstacle that lay in the water below. He landed a few yards from his brother and quickly swam over to him, but once he reached Sam the elf vanished. He rolled his brother onto his back to check his breathing. He knew an injured person shouldn't be moved but he had no choice, he had to get Sam's face out of the water. Tears welled up in his eyes when he couldn't hear or feel any air going in or out of Sam's lungs. Dean put two fingers against his brother's neck and could detect a faint heartbeat; at least his brother was alive. Dean pinched Sam's nose closed and then put his mouth over his brother's mouth and gave him two quick breaths, as he did he began pulling his brother toward the shoreline stopping ever so often to give him a fresh breath of air. When he reached the shore he pulled Sam up onto the ground ignoring the homeless men who gathered around him, asking him a million questions.

"Why'd the kid jump?"

"Is he dead?"

"Why'd you jump in after him you could have killed yourself?"

"Kid's dead isn't he?"

The questions continued one after the other but Dean ignored them, his only thought was saving his brother.

"Damn it Sammy breathe!" He shouted in frustration when his brother didn't immediately start to respond. He gave him a few more breaths then began pressing on Sam's chest hoping he would cough up the water in his lungs. Finally after a few minutes Sam began to stir, but the second he did Dean saw the elf appear near him and Sam's shoulders would slump and he rolled his head to the side and once more he'd sink into unconsciousness.

"Get away from him you son of a bitch!" Dean shouted as he reached in his pocket for his lighter and aerosol can but discovered that both were gone, they had fallen out when he had hit the water. "Son of a bitch!" Dean pulled Sam away from the elf and continued breathing for him, but as soon as Sam would start to come around the elf would reappear and somehow cause his brother to stop breathing again. Dean knew he couldn't keep this up forever, and then he thought of something. He gave Sam two more breaths then pulled him closer to the homeless men's fire. "Where are you you son of a bitch?" Dean looked around for the elf who had vanished apparently not wanting to get close to the fire, but Dean knew it was out there somewhere just waiting. Dean continued working on Sam until he regained consciousness. He looked up at Dean confused.

"What….What's going on?" Sam managed to get out between coughing up water and gasping in much needed air.

"You tried to kill yourself again."

"I did?"

"You don't remember anything?"

Sam shook his head.

"Just waiting for you to call."

Dean looked around, was the elf gone, or was it just waiting till they got away from the fire, waiting to once more take his brother back to the brink of death. He knew he had no choice; he had to get Sam out of there and checked out at a hospital, he could have inhaled all kinds of bacteria from the water which could eventually prove fatal.

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I think so." Sam felt horrible, his head was pounding and it was hard to get a decent breath but he too knew they had to get out of there.

They started to slowly walk away from the fire when all of a sudden Sam collapsed and began gasping for air. Dean knelt by his brother's side and watched as the elf's barely visible form appeared next to Sam. He quickly dragged Sam back toward the fire and patted him on the back till he coughed up even more water. Somehow the elf was causing Sam's lungs to fill up with water even though he was no longer in the river. Dean knew Sam couldn't take much more he had to do something before the elf managed to kill his brother….and then he thought of something. He reached over and picked up a nearly full bottle of rum that was lying near the sleeping bag of one of the homeless men and ignored the man's protest as he opened it. He then once more began to lead Sam away from the fire, and once more the elf's shimmering image appeared next to Sam causing him to collapse to the ground, but this time Dean was ready. He threw the bottle of rum at the elf spilling most of its contents onto it. He then reached in the fire, burning his hand, and pulled out a burning stick of wood which he also tossed on the elf. A high pitched scream pierced the night as the elf, now fully materialized, began spinning in a circle as it swatted at the flames that enveloped it. The homeless men stepped back away from the scene their eyes wide with both fear and disbelief each one believing he was having some kind of an alcohol induced hallucination. The spinning only caused the flames to burn even stronger and within seconds the elf's body was fully engulfed in flames. It gave one last high pitched scream then fell to the ground where the flames quickly turned its body to ash. Dean looked at the homeless men's shocked faces and smiled.

"Guess he didn't know how to drop and roll." Dean said with a little laugh.

The men all looked at him but didn't say a word each one believing they were all having the same hallucination.

Dean walked over to Sam who already seemed to be improving.

"You okay."

Sam nodded.

"And you?" Sam nodded toward Dean's burned hand.

"Nothing a little burn cream won't fix." Dean offered his good hand to Sam who took it and pulled himself up. "I say we get the hell out of here." Dean knew the screams from the elf could have been heard a long way off and would attract unwanted attention. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah."

They climbed the steep river bank together and got in the car with Dean driving and Sam leaning his head against the passenger's door, even though the elf was gone the near drowning had taken its toll on him, he was exhausted. Dean patted his brother on the leg.

"Let's get out of here and get you looked at." Dean said as he turned on the engine. He knew there was no way they could go to the hospital in town since he was now wanted by the cops, he'd have to take Sam to an out of state hospital. His brother was breathing better and should be okay, and he knew the few hours delay in getting him looked at wouldn't cause any more damage. Dean was already making up a story to tell the hospital….

"How 'bout my brother had one too many and slipped off a river bank and fell into the water?…..Yeah that would work." He looked down at his hand which was bright red and already starting to blister he knew it would be hard to hide….."Okay how 'bout this….. We were camping and drinking and I heard my brother fall into the river and when I got up I slipped and my hand went into the fire…. Sound good?" Dean glanced over at Sam who had already drifted off to sleep. Dean smiled to himself, content in the fact that Sam was okay, and that the elf had been destroyed. As long as they were both alive, and relatively unhurt, plus had rid a town of a supernatural creature….then all was well at least until next time. He reached forward and turned the radio on low then tapped his hand on the steering wheel to the beat as he headed out of town wondering where their next hunt would lead them and whether their luck would hold out.

The End


End file.
